City Council

City Council Meeting Minutes ___________________________________________________________________________________________ THURSDAY February 16, 2023 – 6:30 PM COLUMBIA CITY CITY HALL – 1840 SECOND STREET CITY OF COLUMBIA CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON AMENDED MARCH 17, 2023 AGENDA ITEM 1 CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: CONVENED: Mayor Susan Ziglinski called the Regular Meeting to order at 6:30 pm. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Susan Ziglinski Council President Gordon Thistle Councilor Rob Forman Councilor Jeff Reinan COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Councilor Katrina Claridge ALSO PRESENT: Mike McGlothlin, City Administrator/Recorder Gerald Bartolomucci, Police Operations Sergeant Kim Karber, Office Supervisor/Finance Clerk ATTORNEY PRESENT: No. A quorum was present and due notice had been published. AGENDA ITEM 2 CITIZEN INPUT: 2.1 Gary Hudson, of 1700 Eigth Street, spoke to the City Council and expressed his appreciation for their, and city staff’s, work on behalf of the community. Mr. Hudson also specifically thanked Public Works staff for their efforts in quickly resolving an issue that fell within their operational responsibilities. He said that he was not expecting the issue to be resolved as quickly as it was and he was appreciative of the fact that it it was addressed in such a timely manner. No other citizens provided input during this portion of the meeting. AGENDA ITEM 3 COUNCIL REPORTS: 3.1 Minutes of the February 7, 2023 Water & Sewer Committee Meeting, chaired by Council President Gordon Thistle. WRITTEN MINUTES FOR THE FEBRUARY 7, 2023 WATER & SEWER COMMITTEE MEETING WERE SUBMITTED. AGENDA ITEM 4 STAFF REPORTS: 4.1 Activity Reports from the Police Operations Sergeant POLICE OPERATIONS SERGEANT GERALD BARTOLOMUCCI SUBMITTED A WRITTEN ACTIVITY REPORT FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH’S ACTIVITIES. 2 Regular City Council Meeting February 16, 2023 4.2 Activity Reports from the Public Works Superintendent, for December 2022 and January 2023. PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT MICAH RIGERS SUBMITTED WRITTEN ACTIVITY REPORTS FOR THE REFERENCED OPERATIONAL PERIODS. AGENDA ITEM 5 CONSENT AGENDA: 5.1 Bills paid with check numbers 34162 through 34202 during the month of Janurary 2023. 5.2 Expense v. Budget Report for the period ending January 31, 2023. 5.3 Minutes of the January 19, 2023 Regular City Council Meeting. 5.4 Minutes of the January 24, 2023 Audit Committee Meeting. COUNCIL APPROVED THE CONSENT AGENDA BY UNANIMOUS ROLL CALL VOTE. AGENDA ITEM 6 UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None. AGENDA ITEM 7 NEW BUSINESS: 7.1 Council Bill 23-961: A Resolution Authorizing a Transfer of Appropriations within the General, Water, and Sewer Funds During the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2022. MOVED (THISTLE), SECONDED (REINAN) AND VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE COUNCIL BILL 23-961. 7.2 Council Bill 23-960: A Resolution Adopting an Amendment to the City of Columbia City Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual; Dated April 18, 2002. MOVED (REINAN), SECONDED (THISTLE) AND VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE COUNCIL BILL 23-960. 7.3 Discussion with Columbia River Fire and Rescue (CRF&R), led by Fire Chief Joel Medina, regarding ambulance and fire services. FIRE CHIEF MEDINA OPENED THE DISCUSSION BY INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL STAFF FROM CRF&R THAT WERE ASSISTING HIM IN PRESENTING THE MATERIAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THESE STAFF MEMBERS INCLUDED DEPUTY CHIEF ERIC SMYTHE, JERAMY LEHNER, JIM SANCHEZ, AND ALSO TRIP HARDEN, WHO IS AN ARCHITECT/DESIGNER THAT WORKS ON CRF&R CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELING PROJECTS. CHIEF MEDINA THEN PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF A PROPOSED PROJECT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND 24/7 STAFFING OF A FIRE STATION WITHIN COLUMBIA CITY, WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY TO ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES. CHIEF MEDINA EXPLAINED THAT COLUMBIA CITY SITS IN A “POCKET” BETWEEN THE FIRE STATIONS IN RAINIER AND ST. HELENS, AND THAT THESE TWO STATIONS PROVIDE THE RESPONDING UNITS TO THE CITY FOR FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE STATION IN DEER ISLAND THAT IS NOT NORMALLY STAFFED AS IT IS A VOLUNTEER STATION. CHIEF MEDINA FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT THIS “POCKET” BETWEEN THESE TWO RESPONDING STATIONS HAS CAUSED A GAP IN FIRE/AMBULANCE SERVICE FOR COLUMBIA CITY RESIDENTS WHERE RESPONSE TIMES ARE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT UNABLE TO BE MET. ADDITIONALLY, WITH THE PROJECTED POPULATION GROWTH RATES FOR COLUMBIA COUNTY, THIS SITUATION IS EXPECTED TO 3 Regular City Council Meeting February 16, 2023 WORSEN. THIS PROPOSED PROJECT WOULD FILL IN THE CURRENT GAP(S), AS WELL AS ADRESS THE FUTURE NEGATIVE IMPACTS RELATED TO THE EXPECTED POPULATION INCREASES WITHIN THE CRF&R SERVICE AREA, AND WOULD ENABLE CRF&R STAFFING TO ADEQUATELY PROVIDE FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES TO COLUMBIA CITY. DEPUTY CHIEF ERIC SMYTHE SPOKE NEXT AND PROVIDED A SUMMARY OF CALL DATA, INCLUDING THE DEFICIENCIES IN BEING ABLE TO MAKE REQUIRED CALL TIMES, TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THESE DEFICINCIES IN MEETING REQUIRED RESPONSE TIMES IS DUE TO THE DISTANCE FROM BOTH THE ST. HELENS AND RAINIER FIRE STATIONS, AND IN HAVING NO OTHER NEARBY FIRE STATION TO ASSIST IN RESPONDING TO AMBULANCE AND FIRE CALLS FOR SERVICE WITHIN THE CITY. DEPUTY CHIEF SMYTHE ALSO PROVIDED A SINGLE PAGE DOCUMENT FOR ENTRY INTO THE RECORD WHICH OUTLINED HIS SPEAKING POINTS. THE DOCUMENT, TITLED “COLUMBIA CITY AMBULANCE RESPONSE STATISTICS” WAS THEN ACCEPTED FOR ENTRY INTO THE MINUTES FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. TRIP HARDEN, ARCHITECT WORKING ON BEHALF OF CRF&R PROJECTS, AND JERAMY LEHNER, PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICER FOR CRF&R, THEN SPOKE NEXT ON BEHALF OF THE CRF&R PRESENTATION. JERAMY LEHNER PROVIDED COUNCIL WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE REMODELING OF THE CRF&R MAIN OFFICE IN ST. HELENS SO THAT COUNCIL COULD VIEW THE QUALITY OF THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION EFFORTS COMPLETED. TRIP HARDEN PROVIDED A SCHEMATIC OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE POTENTIAL FIRE STATION COULD LOOK LIKE IN COLUMBIA CITY, IF IT WAS SITED AT THE BUNDY PARK LOCATION. . MR. HARDEN ALSO PROVIDED PRELIMINARY DOCUMENTS WHICH DEPICTED THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF THE FIRE STATION, AND THESE DOCUMENTS WERE ALSO ENTERED INTO THE MINUTES FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. JIM SANCHEZ, FINANCE OFFICER WITH CRF&R, SPOKE NEXT AND SAID WORKING COLLABORATIVELY IN THE PURSUIT OF GRANT FUNDING, AND WITH THE ADDITIONAL FACTOR THAT COLUMBIA CITY CURRENTLY HAS NO FIRE STATION WITHIN IT’S CITY LIMITS, MAKES THIS PROPOSED PROJECT A HIGHER PRIORITY FOR FUTURE FUNDING THROUGH THE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROCESS. JIM SANCHEZ ALSO SAID THAT THIS WOULD BE THE PRIMARY APPROACH IN SEEKING FUNDING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS PROPOSED PROJECT. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRESENTATION, CHIEF MEDINA STRESSED THE POSITIVE AFFECT ON CITIZEN INSURANCE RATINGS WITH HAVING A FULLY STAFFED FIRE STATION IN THE CITY, THE DESIRE AND COMMITMENT OF CRF&R TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY ON THE DESIGN AND AETHETICS OF THE STRUCTURE SO THAT IT MET THE CITY’S NEEDS AND APPEARANCE STANDARDS, THE COMMITMENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CITY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (EOC) WITHIN THE PROPOSED FIRE STATION, AND THE COMMITMENT TO PRESENT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROPOSED PROJECT TO CITIZENS IN FUTURE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, AS NEEDED. THE CITY COUNCIL TOOK NO FURTHER ACTION REGARDING THIS REQUEST. 7.4 Presentation and request to City Council by the Friends of the Columbia City Community Library. KIT GARDES, REPRESENTING THE FRIENDS OF THE COLUMBIA CITY COMMUNITY LIBRARY, PRESENTED BOTH A WRITTEN LETTER AND A COPY OF THEIR 5-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN TO THE CITY COUNCIL, BOTH OF WHICH WERE SUBMITTED INTO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES. MRS GARDES ALSO PROVIDED ORAL TESTIMONY TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN REGARDS TO THE REQUEST THAT THE GROUP WAS MAKING. 4 Regular City Council Meeting February 16, 2023 KIT GARDES SAID THAT THE DOCUMENTS THAT SHE PRESENTED REPRESENT THE FUTURE VISION FOR LIBRARY SERVICES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND, BASED UPON WHAT CRF&R PERSONNEL HAD PRESENTED, ALSO PROVIDED THEM WITH ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PROPERTY AVAILABLE AT BUNDY PARK. SHE ALSO STATED THAT THE LIBRARY HAVING A PERMANENT HOME IS ONE OF THEIR PRIMARY GOALS FOR MOVING FORWARD. KIT GARDES GAVE A HISTORY OF THE COLUMBIA CITY LIBRARY, IT’S PAST DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY, AND THE DEDICATION TO LITERACY EFFORTS THAT THE LIBRARY AND IT’S VOLUNTEERS HAD CONTRIBUTED OVER THE YEARS SINCE THE LIBRARY’S INCEPTION. SHE ALSO REQUESTED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL REINSTATE SOME OF ITS FINANCIAL FUNDING TO THE COMMUNITY LIBRARY SO THAT IT CAN PROVIDE MORE HOURS OF SERVICE DURING THE WEEK DAY TIME FRAME, ESTABLISH AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN, AND BE OPEN MORE ON THE WEEKENDS. SHE ALSO REFERENCED SURVEY WORK THAT WAS CONDUCTED IN THE COMMUNITY THAT SHOWED CITIZENS SUPPORTED AND DESIRED THESE OBJECTIVES, AND THIS SURVEY INFORMATION WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE PRESENTATION PACKET FOR CITY COUNCIL. KIT GARDES ASKED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAVE THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR WORK WITH THE BUDGET COMMITTEE DURING THE UPCOMING BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TO FUND A PART-TIME LIBRARIAN POSITION. SHE SAID THAT THIS WOULD ALLOW THE LIBRARY TO BE OPEN MORE HOURS, IT WOULD ALLOW THE LIBRARY TO BE DESIGNATED AS A PUBLIC LIBRARY UNDER STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR OPERATING AS SUCH, AND IT WOULD PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS TO BE DEVELOPED SUCH AS AN E-BOOKS PROGRAM WHERE BOOKS COULD BE CHECKED OUT/DOWNLOADED TO A MOBILE DEVICE FOR READING. AS OF RIGHT NOW, THEY CANNOT OFFER THESE SERVICES NOR CAN THEY REACH CLASSIFICATION AS A PUBLIC LIBRARY UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THEY ARE STAFFED UNDER THE CITY WITH AT LEAST A PART-TIME LIBRARIAN POSITION FUNDED BY THE CITY. KIT GARDES SAID THAT, AND AS IS REFERENCED WITHIN THEIR 5-YEAR PLAN, THE LIBRARY IS WANTING TO BECOME A COMMUNITY HUB. SHE SAID THAT THIS WOULD PROVIDE A GATHERING SPACE FOR MORE INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS, A PLACE FOR CLUBS TO MEET, AND THE SPACE REQUIREED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AFOREMENTIONED CHILDRENS PROGRAMS. KIT GARDES ALSO THANKED THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE APPROVAL IN BUILDING OUT STORAGE SHELVING IN THE AREA UNDERNEATH THE COMMUNITY HALL. SHE SAID THAT IT WAS FUNDED BY THEIR GROUP AND IS NOW COMPLETED SO THAT THEIR MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES CAN BE SAFELY STORED AND ACCESSED. COUNCILOR ROB FORMAN ASKED KIT GARDES IF THE REQUESTED AMOUNT OF $25,000.00 FOR THIS POSITION INCLUDED BOTH SALARY AND BENEFITS, TO WHICH KIT GARDES RESPONDED THAT THEY HAD NOT GOTTEN THAT FAR YET. SHE SAID THAT FIGURE WAS BASED UPON INITIAL ANALYSIS OF COMPENSATION FOR A HEAD LIBRARIAN WITHOUT A MASTERS DEGREEE IN LIBRARY SCIENCES. COUNCILOR FORMAN ASKED IF THAT LEVEL OF DEGREE WAS REQUIRED FOR A HEAD LIBRARIAN AND KIT GARDES RESPONDED THAT IT WAS NOT. COUNCILOR FORMAN SAID THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS EFFORT WAS TO GET THE LIBRARY PROGRAM HEADED IN A FORWARD DIRECTION BUT THAT HE ALSO WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ANY PERSONNEL GROWTH THAT THE ORGANIZATION WAS PLANNING. KIT GARDES SAID THAT THERE WERE REAL CONSTRAINTS TO WHERE THEY WERE PRESENTLY LOCATED, THAT SERVICES WERE MINIMAL, AND THAT THERE WERE NO ASSURANCES TO BE LOCATED AT THEIR PRESENT LOCATION; THUS THE BASIS FOR THE REQUEST(S). FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS THEY HAVE BEEN LOCATED AT THE COLUMBIA CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 5 Regular City Council Meeting February 16, 2023 WITHOUT A RENTAL CONTRACT, AND WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM GROWING THEY WERE CONCERNED FOR THE FUTURE OF THE COMMUNITY’S LIBRARY. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRESENTATION THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR REQUESTED WHAT PAST FINANCIAL SUPPORT THE CITY HAD BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE THE LIBRARY. LIBRARIAN CATHY LUNDBERG PROVIDED SOME FINANCIAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION UP TO THE YEAR 2010 WHERE THE CITY WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO AFFORD TO DO SO. THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR THEN REVIEWED WITH CITY COUNCIL AND THE PARTICIPANTS THE STATUS OF THE CITY’S DEVELOPING BUDGET. HE SHARED THAT AS IT RELATES TO FINANCIAL FORCASTING FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR, WITHOUT AN IDENTIFIED FUNDING STREAM THE CITY CANNOT AFFORD TO FUND THIS POSITION AS REQUESTED WITHOUT CUTTING SERVICES IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY, WHICH WOULD BE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO DECIDE. HE EXPLAINED THAT A PART-TIME POSITION WITH THE CITY CARRIES BENEFIT AND OTHER ANCILLARY EMPLOYEE COSTS THAT WOULD INCREASE THE COST OF THIS POSITION TO WELL OVER THE $25,000.00 REQUEST. THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR DID NOTE THAT HE WOULD FOLLOW UP ON HIS OFFER TO DONATE OFF-WORK TIME TO ASSIST THE LIBRARY WITH THE PROCESS NECESSARY TO PLACE A MEASURE ON THE BALLOT SO THAT CITIZENS COULD VOTE TO FUND THE LIBRARY THROUGH THE SPECIAL DISTRICT FORMATION PROCESS. THE CITY COUNCIL TOOK NO FURTHER ACTION REGARDING THIS REQUEST. 7.5 City Councilor Committee Appointments, as designated by Mayor Susan Ziglinski. MAYOR ZIGLINSKI MADE THE FOLLOWING APPOINTMENTS OF CITY COUNCILORS TO THE COUNCIL DIRECTED COMMITTEES: CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT THISTLE TO CHAIR THE WATER & SEWER COMMITTEE; COUNCILOR REINAN AS A MEMBER OF THE PARKS COMMITTEE; COUNCILOR CLARIDGE TO CHAIR THE PARKS COMMITTEE AND AS A MEMBER OF THE STREETS COMMITTEE; COUNCILOR FORMAN TO CHAIR THE STREETS COMMITTEE AND AS A MEMBER OF THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING GROUP; AND MAYOR ZIGLINSKI TO CHAIR THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING GROUP. AGENDA ITEM 8 OTHER BUSINESS: 8.1 Mayor Ziglinski proposed to Council that future meetings of the City Council revert to their original 6:00 pm meeting times, instead of continuing to meet at 6:30 pm. After discussion, the City Council members that were present agreed by consensus to do so. Mayor Ziglinksi asked that the City Administrator contact Councilor Claridge to see if she could also do the same. The City Administrator confirmed that he would do so and that he would have that feedback, along with any required legislative paperwork to do so, prepared for the March 16, 2023 Regular City Council meeting. AGENDA ITEM 9 ADJOURNMENT: 6 Regular City Council Meeting February 16, 2023 9.1 There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting adjourned at 7:43 pm. APPROVED: _______________________________________ Susan Ziglinski Mayor ATTEST: ___________________________________ Michael S. McGlothlin City Administrator/Recorder